Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, has approved tough sanctions on his predecessor and four oligarchs, accusing them of undermining national security, according to a presidential decree published on Thursday.
The fifth president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko lost the 2019 election to Zelenskyy in a landslide.
A controversial and influential figure, Poroshenko now leads European Solidarity, the largest opposition group in parliament. He is also considered an oligarch whose lucrative interests include a major confectionary maker, earning him the nickname "Chocolate King."
In a statement issued by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Poroshenko was accused of "suspicion of high treason, facilitating the activities of a terrorist organization and other articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine."
The "indefinite" sanctions aim to freeze assets and block financial transactions, it said.
The move against Zelenskyy's major political rival caused shock in diplomatic circles, as Ukraine is dealing with the fallout of U.S. President Donald Trump's 90-minute phone call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin yesterday.
"How will this help Ukraine right now?" one diplomat said, reported the Financial Times.
In anticipation of the National Security and Defense Council decision, Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Wednesday that: "The billions that were earned by actually selling Ukraine and Ukrainian interests, Ukrainian security, must be blocked and used to protect Ukraine and Ukrainians. This will be mandatory."
Poroshenko reacted in a Facebook video, saying the sanctions were "politically motivated."
Other sanction targets were the oligarchs Viktor Medvedchuk, Kostyantyn Zhevago, Ihor Kolomoisky, a Ukrainian-born Israeli citizen, and Hennadiy Boholyubov.
"Most of these sanctioned persons are already involved in criminal proceedings, the pre-trial investigation of which is being carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine or other law enforcement or anti-corruption agencies," said Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council statement.
A controversial and influential figure, Poroshenko now leads European Solidarity, the largest opposition group in parliament. He is also considered an oligarch whose lucrative interests include a major confectionary maker, earning him the nickname "Chocolate King."
In a statement issued by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Poroshenko was accused of "suspicion of high treason, facilitating the activities of a terrorist organization and other articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine."
The "indefinite" sanctions aim to freeze assets and block financial transactions, it said.
The move against Zelenskyy's major political rival caused shock in diplomatic circles, as Ukraine is dealing with the fallout of U.S. President Donald Trump's 90-minute phone call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin yesterday.
"How will this help Ukraine right now?" one diplomat said, reported the Financial Times.
In anticipation of the National Security and Defense Council decision, Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Wednesday that: "The billions that were earned by actually selling Ukraine and Ukrainian interests, Ukrainian security, must be blocked and used to protect Ukraine and Ukrainians. This will be mandatory."
Poroshenko reacted in a Facebook video, saying the sanctions were "politically motivated."
Other sanction targets were the oligarchs Viktor Medvedchuk, Kostyantyn Zhevago, Ihor Kolomoisky, a Ukrainian-born Israeli citizen, and Hennadiy Boholyubov.
"Most of these sanctioned persons are already involved in criminal proceedings, the pre-trial investigation of which is being carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine or other law enforcement or anti-corruption agencies," said Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council statement.
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